Pile fabric



March 18, 1941. F. s'uDELL 2,235,732

PILE FABRIC March 18, 1941- F. suDELL PILE FABRIC Filed Feb. 3.8, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 0,0 0,0 0g @nl s@ @bww IHR Patented Mar. 18, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PILE FABRIC Frank Slidell, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to LaFrance Industries, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication February 18, 1939, Serial No. 257,228

2 Claims.

This invention relates to textile fabrics of the pile-face type, such ascarpets, rugs, bath mats, stool covers, etc., including, for example,articles of the types disclosed in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,144,555,dated January 17, 1939, wherein a Cal base fabric of substantially plainweave commonly employed in the making of canvas or heavy duck isprovided with longitudinally extending pile yarns spaced apart asubstantial distance laterally, and formed into longitudinally extendingrows of pile tufts respectively which spread laterally until the tips ofthe marginal filaments of the laterally spaced rows of pile tufts liesubstantially in abutting relation to each other and cover relativelynarrow areas of nonpile fabric lying intermediate the rows of pile tuftsand give the surface of the fabric a more or less corrugated or wavyappearance. Under normal conditions of use, the marginal filaments ofadjacent rows of pile tufts occasionally become separated to some extentand expose the base fabric between the rows, which'more or less detractsfrom the esthetic effect of the pile face as a whole, particularly inarticles where the base fabric is of a different color from the pile,which is normally the case, the base fabric usually being unbleached orof a neutral color, while the pile tufts are of any desired colorintended to blend with other furnishings or draperies of the room inwhich the fabric is used.

The object of the present invention is to provide a fabric of thegeneral type noted above, wherein the yarns which form the pile tuftsfloat across the normally non-pile areas lying intermediate the rows ofpile tufts and cover the neutral colored base fabric`at all pointsintermediate the frows of pile tufts, thus eliminating any and allexposure of the base fabric between the pile tufts should displacementof the pile tufts along the marginal edges thereof occur.

The present invention more particularly relates to a fabric of the typenoted but with the rows of pile tufts definitely spaced apart asuilicient distance to provide open 0r non-pile areas between the rowsof pile tufts at all times. and wherein the pile yarns float across thenon-pile areas intermediate the rows of pile tuftsand.

cover the neutral -base fabric, resulting in a fabric having a facecomposed of laterally spaced rows of out pile tufts alternating withnarrow nonpile areas composed of the same yarns as the pile tufts, whichgives the face `of the fabric a spaced bar appearance. The twisted yarnof the floats in the non-pile areas will reflect the light raysdifferently from the cut ends of the yarn filaments in the rows of piletufts.

In the fabric disclosed in said prior patent, the rows of pile tuftsextended longitudinally, i. e. warpwise of the fabric, whereas in thefabric of the present instance the rows of pile tufts extendtransversely, Le. weftwise of the fabric, with the pile yarn floatsbetween the transverse bars extending warpwise of the fabric and hidingthe underlying base fabric.

The pile tufts, according to the present invention, may be of the V typeor of the- W type, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:`

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a swatch of fabric made in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal or warpwise sectional view taken on the line 22, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a slightly modifiedarrangement with the pile tuft rows spaced a greater distance apart thanin the fabric of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View showing the fabric of Fig. 3 asbeing woven double, prior to splitting in a median plane intermediatethe upper and lower fabrics;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing one form of w type tuft:

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the weaving of thefabric of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing a somewhat differentarrangement of the W tufts; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the manner of 'weaving thefabric of Fig. '7.

As shown in Fig. 2, the base fabric l is of the ordinary plain weavecommonly employed in the making of heavy duck and comprises the usualseries of transversely extending weft threads or iilling-shots 2, 2bound together in the usual one and one weave by binder threads or warpchains 3, 3.

Interwoven with relatively spaced groups 4, 4 of the weft threads orfilling threads 2, 2 are pile warp threads 5, 5, which are disposed inclose laterally abutting relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 2. Thepile warps 5, 5 are formed into pile tufts 6, B, with two or more tuftspreferably arranged in succession longitudinally of the fabric andcooperating with similar tufts formed from the laterally abutting pilewarps to collectively produce transversely extending rows or bars l, lwhich alternate with open non-pile areas 8, 8 on the pile face of thefabric.

Extending from one bar 'i to the next adjacent `bar 1 across the openspaces 8. 8, are floats 9, 9. These floats El are formed of the pilewarps 5, 5 and cover the underlying areas l0, i0 of the base fabric Iwhich are composed of groups of weft threads 2. 2, lying intermediatethe groups 4, 4

`of the weft threads with which the pile warps 5 are interwoven to formthe tufts 6, 6 of the transverse bars or ribs 1. 1.' u e From the aboveit will beclear that the spaces 8 between the rows or courses i of piletufts are bridged by floats 9 of the pile forming warp threads arrangedin close laterally abutting relation to each other and covering the basefabric i, thus givingthe face of the fabric a very attractiveappearance.

Fig. 3 illustrates a similar fabric to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, withthe exception that the bars or rows la, `la are respectively wider than10 those shown in Figs. l and 2 but are composed of V tufts 6a, the sameas the tufts t of Figs. l and 2. The spaces Ba in the fabric of Fig. 3are considerably wider than the spaces t of the fabric of Figs. il and 2and are also wider in proportion to the widths of the bar la, la, whichmakes the floats @a of the pile threads 5a considerably longer than thefloats 9 of the pile threads 5 of Figs. l. and 2. The areas @0a of thebase fabric ia which lie intermediate the groups fla, la of the wef-ts2a, 2a around which the tufts ila, Se are formed, are correspondingly,wider than the areas it of the base fabric i in Figs. 1 and 2. Zin thefabric of Fig. 3 the wefts 2a are tied together in pairs by the binderor warp chains 3a. The general eiect of the fabric of Fig. 3 is,therefore, the same as the general effect of the fabric shown in Fig. 1,except as to the greater spacing of therows or bars of pile tufts andthe greater width of each baror row 'of pile tufts.

In order to insure against the ends of the floats 9a being pulled loose,the pile yarns 5, 5 are interwoven with a, plurality of the wef-ts 4a,4a, at each of the opposite sides of each row of pille tufts, asindicated at I9a, lila, in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows the fabric of Fig. 3, as being woven double, i. e. with onecomplete fabric B superimposed above a corresponding fabric A, with aspace C therebetween, the two fabrics being separated, after weaving, bycutting the pile yarns 5a, 5a on a median plane :c equidistant from thefabrics A and B, said cutting on the line a: producing the cut piletufts 6a, 6a, which would be the same in each of the fabrics A and Brespectively.

In the fabrics shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the

simple form of V type tuft is produced, i. e, rela.- tively shortportions of the pile yarns 5 or 5a of which the pile tufts 6 or 6a areformed, pass under single Wef-t threads or filling shots 2 or 2a,

to whereas in the fabrics shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7`and 8 the W type oftuf't is provided, i. e. the yarn portion forming each tuft passes underone weft thread 2b, as shown in Fig. 5, over the next weft thread 2b,and then under a third weft thread 2b,

55 to produce the pile tutt Eb with the free ends of the piece of yarnprojecting upwardly beyond the base fabric i.

The opposite ends of eac-h of the longer pieces or sections of the pileyarns 5b which con- 00 sti-tute the oats 9b are interwoven with a.plurality of wefrts 2b, to secure these opposite ends of the floatsagainst being pulled out during normal usage of the fabric.

As shown in Fig. 6, each pile yarn 5b asso- 55 ciated with the lowerfabric Ai is interwoven with a number of the weftrthreaids 2b of thelower fabric, and then passes upwardly across the space CI between thefabrics AI and Bl into the fabric BI Iwhere it is interwoven with a.plu- 70 ral-ity of the wet-ts 2b of the upper fabric BI,

as indicated at lib. It then passes downwardly again across the space CIinto the lower fabric Al where it is interwoven with a. plurality of thewefts 2b of the lower fabric AI, as indicated at i912. in a. similarmanner each of the pile warns 5b of the upper fabric BI is interwoven.with a plurality of the Wefts 2b of the upper fabric Bi, then passesdownwardly across the space Ci into the lower fabric Ai, and isinterwoven with a plurality of the wefts 2b of the lower fabric, asindicated at lb. The pile warp then passes upwardly Iagain across thespace CI into the fabric Bi where it is interwoven with 2.10 pluralityof the wefts 2b of the upper fahr-tc Bl,

as indicated at lh.

The pile warp yarns 5b, 5b, in the upper and Ilower fabrics Bi and Aifloat in the space Ci adjacent the upper and Liower fabrics respective-15 ly, as indicated at ib, Sb, between the places where the yarns passfrom one to the other of the upper and lower fabrics.

When the two fabrics are separated as disclosed above by splitting thedoubly woven fabric on a 20 median plane midway between the fabrics Aiand Bi, lthe lower fabric, in each of the transversely extending piletuft bars '.lb, will include a W tuft formed of the pile yarn normallyinterwoven lwith the upper fabric and two part 25 tufts 90b formed ofthe .pile yiarn normally, interwoven rwith the lower fabric, while theupper fabric Bi, in each of the bars 1b, will include a W tuft formed ofthe pile yarn 5b, which is normally associated with the lower fabric AI30 and two part tufts, corresponding to the `part tufts ib of the lowerfabric, composed of the pile yarn normally associated lwith the upperfabric Bi.

Figs. 7 and 8 show fabrics similar to Figs. 5 35 and 6 respectively,with a slight variation in the manner in which the yarns 5c, 5c of theupper and [lower fabrics B2 and A2 respectively Iare led from the oneIto the other of the fabrics across the space C2 therebetweenthe piletufts in this in- 40 stance being of thewtype, the same as in thefabrics of Figs. 5 and 6, the tuft parts in vthe fabrics of Figs. 7 and8 in some instances passing between two adjacent wefts 2c, 2c instead ofat opposite sides of the wefts as shown in Figs. 45 5 and 6: otherwise,the fabrics are substantially the same.

I claim:

l. A 'textile fabric comprising a base fabric composed of interwovenwarps and wefts, pile warps interwoven with predetermined wefts atrelatively spaced points Wmpwise of the fabric and formed into piletufts projecting above one face of 'the base fabric in transverselyextending longitudinally spaced continuous .rows of substantially equaluniform width, with said -pifle warps floating warpwise of said fabriccontinuously on and covering said Ibase fabric in the spaces betweensaid rows of pile tufts.

2. A textile fabric comprising a. base fabric comped of interwoven warpsand wefts, pile warps interwoven with predetermined relatively spacedgroups of said wefts and formed into pile tufts projecting lfrom saidgroups of -wefts upwardly above one face of said Ibase fabric inlongitudinal-ly spaced continuous rows of substantially equail uniformwidth, with non-pile areas therebetween, said pile war-ps floatingcontinuously on and covering said face of said .base fabric between saidrelatively spaced rows of pile 7o tufts and interwoven with otherpredetermined wefts adjacent said groups of wefts.

FRANK SUDELL.

